Electrical box cable connector

ABSTRACT

An electrical box assembly and cable connector are provided. The cable connector includes a connector housing and a cable retaining member that releasably secures an electrical cable within the connector housing. The electrical box assembly includes an electrical box and a cable connector. The electrical box assembly may also include a box separator.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present disclosure is based on and claims benefit from U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/249,680 filed Nov. 2, 2015 entitled“Electrical Box Cable Connector” the entire contents of which are hereinincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Field

The present disclosure relates generally to electrical box assembliesfor electrical cables, and cable connectors installed within theelectrical box assemblies.

Description of the Related Art

Electrical boxes are mounted in various residential, commercial, andindustrial locations depending on the particular application. Electricalcables are commonly supplied to such electrical boxes and are used forconnecting a cable to electrical devices or fixtures or other electricalcables. Current electrical codes typically require electrical cabling tobe secured to the electrical boxes. In some electrical boxconfigurations, the electrical cables generally pass through an openingin a wall of an electrical box, also known as a knock-out or a pry-out,and are secured in place by a cable connector or clamp. Conventionalcable clamps for armored sheathed cabling differ from cable clamps fornon-metallic sheathed cabling, but in either case, such conventionalcable clamps generally clamp the cable between a clamping plate and aside wall or bottom wall of the electrical box. Conventional cableclamps for armored sheathed cabling, typically include a stop member toprevent the armored sheath from extending too far into the electricalbox.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides an electrical cable connector comprisinga connector housing and a cable retaining member. The connector housinghas a front wall, a rear wall, and a top wall between the front wall andthe rear wall. The front wall, rear wall and top wall form a cavity. Thefront wall includes at least one cable opening dimensioned to permit anelectrical cable to pass into the cavity, and the rear wall includes atleast one wire opening that permits electrical wires within anelectrical cable to exit the cavity while preventing the electricalcable from exiting the cavity. The cable retaining member secured to theconnector housing and having at least a portion extending into thecavity such that the portion extending into the cavity can engage acable within the cavity so that the cable retaining member is able toflex while an electrical cable passes into the cavity imparting littleresistance to the forward advancement of the cable, while impartingsufficient resistance to rearward movement of the cable to preventwithdrawal of the cable from the cavity.

The present disclosure also provides an electrical box assemblycomprising an electrical box and at least one cable connector. Theelectrical box has four sides and a bottom, and the at least one cableconnector is releasably secured within the electrical box. The at leastone cable connector comprises a connector housing having a front wall, arear wall, and a top wall between the front wall and the rear wall,wherein the front wall, rear wall and top wall form a cavity. The frontwall includes at least one cable opening dimensioned to permit anelectrical cable to pass into the cavity, and the rear wall includes atleast one wire opening that permits electrical wires within anelectrical cable to exit the cavity while preventing the electricalcable from exiting the cavity. The at least on cable connector alsoincludes a cable retaining member secured to the connector housing. Thecable retaining member has at least a portion extending into the cavitysuch that the portion extending into the cavity can engage a cablewithin the cavity so that the cable retaining member is able to flexwhile an electrical cable passes into the cavity imparting littleresistance to the forward advancement of the cable, while impartingsufficient resistance to rearward movement of the cable to preventwithdrawal of the cable from the cavity. In some configurations, theelectrical box assembly may include a box separator secured within theelectrical box and configured to create at least two isolatedcompartments within the electrical box.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures depict embodiments for purposes of illustration only. Oneskilled in the art will readily recognize from the following descriptionthat alternative embodiments of the structures illustrated herein may beemployed without departing from the principles described herein,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an electricalbox assembly according to the present disclosure, illustrating anelectrical box and a cable connector;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a cableconnector according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of aretaining member of the cable connector of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view from the bottom of the retaining member ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view from a top surface of the retaining memberof FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the cable connector of FIG. 2,illustrating a connector housing and the retaining member of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a rear elevation view of the connector housing of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of the cable connector of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the cable connector of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of the cable connector of FIG. 2;

FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective view of the connector housing of FIG. 6;

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the connector housing of FIG. 6;

FIG. 13 is a side elevation view of the cable connector of FIG. 2,illustrating motion for removing a retainer member from the connectorhousing;

FIG. 14 is a top plan view of the electrical box assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 15 is a side view of the electrical box assembly of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of the electrical box assemblyof FIG. 14;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical box assembly of FIG.14 taken along line 17-17;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged view of a portion of the electrical box assemblyof FIG. 17, illustrating a cable connector secured to the electricalbox;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical box assembly of FIG.14 taken along line 19-19;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of anelectrical box assembly according to the present disclosure with a pairof armored sheathed cables secured to a cable connector;

FIG. 21 is a top plan view of the electrical box assembly of FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical box assembly of FIG.21 taken along line 22-22;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of anelectrical box assembly according to the present disclosure,illustrating a cable connector and a box separator positioned within anelectrical box;

FIG. 24 is a top plan view of the electrical box assembly of FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical box assembly of FIG.24 taken along line 25-25;

FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical box assembly of FIG.24 taken along line 26-26;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of anelectrical box assembly according to the present disclosure,illustrating a cable connector and a box separator positioned within anelectrical box;

FIG. 28 is a top plan view of the electrical box assembly of FIG. 27;and

FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical box assembly of FIG.28 taken along line 29-29.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure provides descriptions of embodiments forelectrical cable connectors used in electrical boxes, and electrical boxassemblies incorporating such electrical cable connectors. Thespecification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative senserather than a restrictive sense. Various modifications may be madethereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of an electrical boxassembly according to the present disclosure is shown. In this exemplaryembodiment, the electrical box assembly 200 includes a cable connector10 (also referred to as a cable clamp) installed within an electricalbox 210.

Referring to FIGS. 2-13, an exemplary embodiment of a cable connectoraccording to the present disclosure is shown. In this exemplaryembodiment, the cable connector 10 includes one or more cable retainingmembers 12 that are releasably secured to a connector housing 30. Inanother embodiment, the cable retaining members 12 may be integrallyformed into the connector housing. The retaining member 12 is a flexiblemember that is able to flex (typically upwards) while an electricalcable passes into the connector housing 30 imparting little resistanceto the forward advancement of the cable within the connector housingwhile imparting sufficient resistance to rearward movement of the cableto prevent withdrawal of the cable from the connector housing.

The retaining member 12 may be provided in various shapes and sizessufficient to flex while an electrical cable passes into the connectorhousing 30 imparting little resistance to the forward advancement of thecable while imparting sufficient resistance to rearward movement of thecable to prevent withdrawal of the cable from the connector housing 30.Referring to FIGS. 3-5, an exemplary embodiment of the retaining member12 includes a base portion 14 and at least one leg 16 extending from thebase portion 14. The base portion 14 is generally straight and includesan aperture 18 used in securing the retaining member 12 to the connectorhousing 30. In an embodiment where the cable retaining member 12 isintegrally formed into the connector housing 30, the base portion 14 ofthe cable retaining member 12 would be integral with the connectorhousing and the legs 16 would extend from the connector housing.

The leg 16 has a substantially straight main body 16 a that extends fromthe base portion 14 at an angle “α”, and an end portion 16 b that is atan angle “β” relative to the main body 16 a. As such, the leg 16 iscantilevered from the base portion 14 at the point where the baseportion 14 connects to the leg 16. This cantilever permits flexibilityof the leg 16 relative to the base portion 14, which is secured to theconnector housing 30. The angle “α” may depend upon a number of factors,including, the length of the leg portion 16 of each retaining member 12,and the angle between the base portion 14 and a central axis 22 of theconnector housing 30, seen in FIG. 10. As an example, the angle “α” canbe 145 degrees, which provides suitable flexibility of the retainingmember to allow insertion of a cable into the connector housing whileimparting sufficient resistance to rearward movement of the cable toprevent withdrawal of the cable from the connector housing 30. The angle“β” may depend upon a number of factors, including the angle “α” and theangle between the base portion 14 and the central axis 22 of theconnector housing 30. As an example, the angle “β” can be 145 degrees.The end portion 16 b of leg 16 may include an arcuate portion 16 c thatis configured to substantially conform to an outer periphery of thesheathing of an electrical cable, and to engage the sheathing of theelectrical cable, as will be described below.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 3-5, the retaining member 12has two legs 16. Each leg 16 is connected to an end of the base portion14 as shown. The legs 16 are secured to the base portion 14 so that thelong surfaces of each leg 16 are in parallel, and capable of flexingwhile an electrical cable passes into the connector housing 30 impartinglittle resistance to the forward advancement of the cable. The endportion 16 b of the leg 16 engages the cable to impart sufficientresistance to rearward movement of the cable to prevent withdrawal ofthe cable from the housing. The retaining member 12 may be made ofmetal, e.g., steel or galvanized steel, or from non-metallic materials,such as plastic. An example of a suitable plastic material is injectionmolded thermoplastic. The retaining member 12 may be made as a singleunitary member bent or stamped to a desired size and shape, or theretaining member 12 may comprise a plurality of components joinedtogether with, for example, welds to a size and shape sufficient toretain a cable within the connector housing 30.

Referring again to FIGS. 6-13, the connector housing 30 has a front wall32, a rear wall 34, a top wall 36 extending between the front wall 32and the rear wall 34, and a bottom wall 38 connected to the front wall32. The front wall 32 and the rear wall 34 of the connector housing 30,in the implementation shown in FIG. 1 for example, are configured suchthat they are oriented substantially parallel to a side wall, e.g., sidewall 210 a, of an electrical box 210. The front wall 32 and rear wall 34extend downwardly from the top wall 36, and the bottom wall 38 extendsfrom the front wall 32 toward the rear wall 34 to form an internalcavity 37 with a partially open bottom end. However, one skilled in theart would readily appreciate that the bottom wall may extend from thefront wall 32 to the rear wall 34. In another embodiment, the housing 30may also include side walls (not shown) extending between the front wall32 and the rear wall 34 and from the top wall 36 to or toward the bottomwall 38.

In FIGS. 7 and 10, the height “H1” of the front wall 32 is typicallygreater than the height “H2” of the rear wall 34, such that the top wall36 rests at an angle “θ” relative to a center line 51 of the wireopening 50 in the rear wall 34. An example of a suitable angle “θ” is 15degrees. While the embodiment shown angles the top wall between thefront and rear walls, the present disclosure also contemplates a topwall that can be perpendicular to the front wall and/or the rear wall.

In this exemplary embodiment, the end portion 16 b of leg 16 is alignedwithin the connector housing 30 so that it can flex when a cable ispassed into the connector housing 30 and biased toward a normal statewhen the cable is fully inserted such that the end portion 16 b of leg16 engages the cable sheathing to impart sufficient resistance torearward movement of the cable so as to prevent withdrawal of the cablefrom the housing. To accommodate cables having different outsidediameters, the legs 16 can be configured so that the end portions 16 bcan extend into the cavity and end at different locations within theinternal cavity 37, such that there is a height difference “H3” betweenthe end portions 16 b, as shown in FIG. 10. To remove the cable from theconnector housing 30, upward pressure can be applied to the leg 16 ofthe retaining member 12 so that the end portion 16 b no longer engagesthe cable sheathing.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 6 and 8, the front wall 32 includes one or morecable openings 40 for passing electrical cables external to theelectrical box 210 into the internal cavity 37 of the connector housing30 secured in the electrical box for connection to other wires, orelectrical devices or fixtures. In this exemplary embodiment, the frontwall 32 has two adjacent cable openings 40. Each cable opening 40 isconfigured and dimensioned to receive is an electrical cable, such as anarmored cable, including BX type cables, MC-PCS type cables, andGreenfield type flexible armored cabling. The size of the cable opening40 may vary depending upon the outside diameter of the cabling that isto pass through the cable opening 40 into the internal cavity 37 of theconnector housing 30. Examples of sizes for the cable opening include, ½inch, ¾ inch, 1 inch, and sizes greater than 1 inch. However, oneskilled in the art would readily recognize that the cable opening 40 maybe any size suitable to permit entry of an electrical cable into theconnector housing 30. In one exemplary embodiment the cable is a BX typearmored cable having an outside diameter of about ½ inch. In such anexample, the cable opening 40 would be large enough to receive the BXtype armored cable or about ½ inch or greater in size. Each cableopening 40 includes rounded edges 40 a to minimize potential damage tocables passing through the cable opening 40. Alternatively, the cableopening 40 can include, for example, a rubber or plastic grommet tominimize potential damage to the cable sheathing surrounding wirespassing through the cable opening 40.

The front wall 32 is spaced from the rear wall 34 a distance sufficientto receive the cable retaining member 12 and electrical cables 232,shown for example in FIGS. 20-22. The front wall 32 is configured toabut and rest against a side wall, e.g., side wall 210 a of anelectrical box 210, seen in FIG. 1, and includes a mounting hole 52,e.g., a threaded hole, positioned in a central portion of the front wall32, as shown in FIG. 6. The mounting hole 52 is used to receive afastener 54, e.g., a threaded screw, to secure the cable connector 10 tothe electrical box 210.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 10 and 11, the rear wall 34 has at least onewire opening 50 for passing electrical wires, e.g., wires 230 seen inFIG. 20, from an electrical cable 232 within the internal cavity 37 ofthe connector housing 30 into the electrical box 210 for connection toother wires or an electrical device or fixture. In this exemplaryembodiment, the rear wall 34 has two adjacent wire openings 50. Eachwire opening 50 has a center line 51, seen in FIG. 10, and includes arounded edge 50 a around the periphery of the opening 50 to minimizepotential damage to insulation surrounding wires passing through thewire opening 50. Alternatively, the wire opening can include, forexample, a rubber or plastic grommet to minimize potential damage toinsulation surrounding wires passing through the wire opening 50. Thesize of the wire opening 50 may vary depending upon a number of factors,including the number of wires within the electrical cable and thediameter of the sheathing of the cable. The rear wall 34 also acts as astop to prevent the cable sheathing, e.g., armored electrical cablesheathing, from passing through the internal cavity 37 of the connectorhousing 30 into the electrical box 210. Each wire opening 50 in the rearwall 34 is aligned with a corresponding cable opening 40 in the frontwall 32 to minimize bending of wires 230 when passing the wires from theinternal cavity 37 of the connector housing 30 into the electrical box210. The front wall cable openings 40 aligned with the wire openings 50in the rear wall, are both configured to align with box pry-outs 224when the connector housing is installed within electrical box. As aresult, a cable 232 can be passed through the pry-out opening throughthe cable opening 40, and wires 230 within the cable 232 can passthrough the wire opening 50 into the electrical box, as seen in FIGS.20-22. Further, the bottom wall 38 of the connector housing 30 mayinclude a pair of parallel guide fins 70, seen in FIGS. 6, 11 and 13,that are aligned with each cable opening 40 and its corresponding wireopening 50 to act as a guide to position a cable within the internalcavity 37, as seen in FIG. 22.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 6, 9 and 10, the top wall 36 of the connectorhousing 30 includes one or more cutouts 60 that provide access to theinternal cavity 37 of the connector housing 30. In the exemplaryimplementation shown, the top wall 36 has two cutouts 60. Each cutout isgenerally rectangular in shape and extends from a point proximate thefront wall 32 toward the rear wall 34 as shown. While the cutouts areshown as rectangular in shape, one skilled in the art would readilyrecognize that the cutouts can be in any shape suitable to provideaccess to the internal cavity 37 of the connector housing 30. Eachcutout 60 has a mounting bracket 62, best seen in FIGS. 2, 6 and 13,that is used to secure the base portion 14 of the cable retaining member12 to the connector housing 30 and allow the one or more legs 16 of thecable retaining member 12 to pass into the internal cavity 37 of theconnector housing 30. Extending from each cutout 60 is a pair of fins 72that stiffen the top wall 36 and act as a guide for the cable retainingmember 12. While the top wall is shown with the cutouts 60 and mountingbracket 62, one skilled in the art would readily appreciate that thebottom wall 38 may include the cutouts 60 and the mounting brackets usedto secure the base portion 14 of the cable retaining member 12 to theconnector housing 30 and allow the one or more legs 16 of the cableretaining member 12 to pass into the internal cavity 37 of the connectorhousing 30. In another embodiment, the side walls, if implemented, mayinclude the cutouts and the mounting brackets used to secure the baseportion 14 of the cable retaining member 12 to the connector housing 30and allow the one or more legs 16 of the cable retaining member 12 topass into the internal cavity 37 of the connector housing 30.

In this exemplary implementation, the mounting bracket 62 is positionedin the cutout 60 proximate the front wall 32. The mounting bracket 62has an upper surface 64, seen in FIGS. 6 and 12, configured to permitthe base portion 14 of the cable retaining member 12 to rest on themounting bracket 62. The mounting bracket 62 includes aperture 66, e.g.,a threaded opening, in the upper surface 64 for receiving a mountingscrew 68 that passes through aperture 18 in the cable retaining member12 and is threaded into an aperture 66 in the mounting bracket 62 tosecure the base portion 14 of the cable retaining member 12 to themounting bracket.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 14-22, an exemplary embodiment of an electricalbox assembly according to the present disclosure is shown. In thisexemplary embodiment, the electrical box assembly 200 includes anelectrical box 210 and one or more cable connectors 10. The electricalbox 210 has four sides 210 a-210 d and a bottom 210 e. The electricalbox 210 can be fabricated from metal, e.g., steel or galvanized steel,or from non-metallic materials, such as plastic. An example of asuitable plastic material is injection molded thermoplastic. In theembodiment shown, the electrical box 210 is a conventional 4×4 squarebox (or what is also known in the industry as a 4″ square box or a 1900box), however any suitable sized electrical box may be used for thepresent disclosure. For example, additional multi-gang boxes, such as a3 gang box or raceways, may be used for the electrical box of thepresent disclosure. Further, the depth of the electrical box 210 mayvary. For example, the electrical box may be 1¼ inches, 1½ inches, 2⅛inches, or 3½ inches in depth. The electrical box 210 may also includeone or more mounting tabs 220 with threaded or tapped mounting holes,where threaded screws 222 (e.g., 8/32 machine screws) can be inserted tosecure a cover, e.g., a blank cover, a switch cover or a receptaclecover, or to secure an extension ring or plaster ring to the electricalbox 210. The electrical box 210 may include one or more cable entrancepry-outs 224, seen in FIGS. 15 and 16, that when removed create anopening in the electrical box 210 to permit electrical cables to beinserted into the electrical box 210. The electrical box 210 may alsoinclude one or more knock-outs 226, seen in FIGS. 14 and 16, used tosecure cable clamps or cable connectors to the box housing. Theknock-outs 226 can come in many sizes. For example, the knock-outs 226can be ½ inch, ¾ inch, 1 inch or greater in diameter. To connect theelectrical box 210 to electrical ground, a ground screw aperture may beincluded in the electrical box 210. In conventional 4×4 electricalboxes, the ground screw aperture is typically on a raised surface 210 fof the bottom 210 e of the electrical box 210, as seen in FIGS. 1, 14and 22. The ground screw aperture is typically a threaded or tapped holefor insertion of a ground screw, e.g., an 8/32 machine screw, that istypically color coded as green.

Referring to FIGS. 14-19, one or more cable connectors 10 of the presentdisclosure can be mounted into the electrical box 210. In this exemplaryembodiment, to mount the cable connector 10 to the electrical box 210,the front wall 32 of the connector housing 30 is positioned against aside wall of the box housing having cable entrance pry-outs 224, forexample side wall 210 a. The mounting hole 52 in the connector housing30 is aligned with opening 212 in side wall 210 a, so that the threadedportion of fastener 54 can pass through the opening 212, and can bethreaded into mounting hole 52 to secure the connector housing 30 to theelectrical box 210, as seen in FIGS. 16-18. When secured within theconnector housing 30, the bottom wall 38 of the connector housing restson or is adjacent to the bottom wall 210 e of the electrical box 210, asseen in FIG. 19.

Referring to FIGS. 20-22, the operation of the cable connector 10according to the present disclosure will be described. When wires 230 ofan electrical cable 232 (or an electrical cable if the cable sheathingis not removed prior to installation) are passed through the pry-outopenings in the electrical box 210, through the cable opening 40 inconnector housing 30 and through the corresponding wire opening 50 thecable sheathing 234 enters the internal cavity 37 of the connectorhousing 30. As the cable 232 moves forward within the internal cavity37, the end portion 16 b of each leg 16 of the cable retaining member 12can engage the cable sheathing 234. As described above, the retainingmember 12 is a flexible member that is able to flex (typically upward)while the electrical cable 232 passes into the internal cavity 37 of theconnector housing 30 imparting little resistance to the forwardadvancement of the cable 232 within the internal cavity, while impartingsufficient resistance to rearward movement of the cable to preventwithdrawal of the cable from the housing. Thus, releasably securing thecable 232 in the connector housing 30.

Turning to FIGS. 23-26, another exemplary embodiment of an electricalbox assembly according to the present disclosure is shown. In thisexemplary embodiment, the electrical box assembly 300 includes anelectrical box 210 having four sides 210 a-210 d and a bottom 210 e, acable connector 10, and a box separator 350. The electrical box 210 issimilar to the electrical box described above, and the cable connector10 is similar to the cable connector described above, and for ease ofdescription are not described again.

The box separator 350 is secured within the electrical box 210 to createat least two wiring connection compartments. In the embodiment shown,the box separator 350 creates two wiring connection compartments; an ACwiring connection compartment 352 and a low voltage wiring connectioncompartment 354. In this exemplary implementation, as will be describedin more detail below, wires or conductors can pass from one compartmentto another compartment through one or more wire passages in the boxseparator 350. For example, wires can pass from the AC wiring connectioncompartment 352 to the low voltage wiring connection compartment 354, orwires can pass from the low voltage wiring connection compartment 354 tothe AC wiring connection compartment 352.

Continuing to refer to FIGS. 23-26, the box separator 350 can befabricated from metal, e.g., steel or galvanized steel, or fromnon-metallic materials, such as plastic. An example of a suitableplastic material is injection molded thermoplastic. In this exemplaryimplementation, the box separator 350 is a U shaped member having twoparallel plates 360 and 362, and a connecting wall 364, best seen inFIG. 26, that form a wire passage channel 366. Plate 360 includes a wirepassage 370, such as a wire passing slot, an aperture or other openingor passageway, which is configured and dimensioned to allow one or morewires, e.g., AC line voltage wires, or low voltage wires, to passthrough the plate 360. To prevent potential damage to wires passingthrough wire passage 370, the edges of the wire passage 370 can includea flange 370 a that is rounded to a smooth surface, seen in FIG. 23, sothat insulation around wires passing between low voltage wiringconnection compartment 354 and wire passage channel 366 does not becomedamaged to a point where wire conductors within the insulation becomeexposed to the environment. In another embodiment, especially when thebox separator 350 is made of metal, an insulating sleeve or member (notshown) may be secured to the wire passage 370 by, for example, anadhesive such as glue or epoxy.

Similar to plate 360, plate 362 includes a wire passage 372, such as awire passing slot, an aperture or other opening or passageway, which isconfigured and dimensioned to allow one or more wires, e.g., AC linevoltage wires or low voltage wires, to pass through the plate 362.However, as seen in FIGS. 23 and 24, the wire passage 370 in plate 360is preferably offset from wire passage 372 in plate 362 to eliminatedirect wire access across the box separator 350 to either compartment352 or 354 so as to make it difficult to have an inadvertent cross-overof wires into the wrong compartment. To prevent potential damage towires passing through wire passage 372, the edges of the wire passage372 can include a flange 372 a that is rounded to a smooth surface, seenin FIGS. 23 and 25, so that insulation around wires passing between lowvoltage wiring connection compartment 354 and the wire passage channel366 does not become damaged to a point where wire conductors within theinsulation become exposed to the environment. In another embodiment,especially when the box separator 350 is made of metal, an insulatingsleeve or member (not shown) may be secured to the wire passage 372 by,for example, an adhesive such as glue or epoxy.

Continuing to refer to FIGS. 23-26, plate 362 also includes a mountingtab 374 extending at a right angle from an upper portion of the plate362, as shown in FIG. 26. The mounting tab 374 includes a threaded ortapped mounting hole 376, and is used to facilitate the securing of thebox separator 350 within the electrical box 210. More specifically, amounting screw 378, seen in FIGS. 24 and 25, can be inserted through anaperture in a side wall, e.g., side wall 210 a, 210 b, 210 c and/or 210d, of the electrical box 210 into the threaded mounting hole 376 andtightened to secure the box separator 350 to the electrical box 210. Inanother embodiment, one end of plate 360 may include a mounting tab 374extending at a right angle from an upper portion of the plate, and oneend of plate 362 may include a mounting tab 374 extending at a rightangle from an upper portion of the plate. Preferably, the mounting tab374 on plate 360 is at an opposite end and side from tab 374 on plate362. Each plate could then be secured to the electrical box 210. In suchan implementation, the box separator 350 may or may not include theconnecting wall 364. In still other embodiments, the box separator 350can be secured to the electrical box 210 by, for example, welding, aspring action snap-in structure, bending mounting tabs in the electricalbox over corresponding flanges in the box separator, and/or by includingapertures in the connecting wall 364 of the box separator 350 andthreaded or tapped mounting holes in the bottom 210 e of the electricalbox 210 that are aligned with the apertures in the bottom connectingwall 364, and inserting threaded screws to the bottom 210 e of theelectrical box 210.

As described above, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 23-26,wires or conductors can pass from one compartment to anothercompartment. For example cables can be connected to the electrical box210 using cable connector 10 aligned with pry-outs 224, or other cableconnectors or clamps in knock-outs 226. In this exemplary embodiment,the one or more cables can be metal clad power, control and signal(MC-PCS) type cables with an armored sheathing. Such MC-PCS cablesinclude AC line voltage wires for supplying AC power, and low voltagecontrol or signal wires for controlling devices, such as solid statedimmer switches. Using MC-PCS type cables, low voltage wires in thecable can pass from the AC wiring connection compartment 352 through thewire channel 366 and into the low voltage wiring connection compartment354. As another example, if the cables are connected to the low voltagewiring compartment 354 side of the electrical box 210, AC line voltagewires can pass from the low voltage wiring connection compartment 354through the wire channel 366 and into the AC wiring connectioncompartment 352. In another embodiment, one or more cables connected tothe electrical box 210 can be a standard AC line voltage cables, such as12/2 BX cables, and one or more cables can be a low voltage cable, suchas shielded two conductor low voltage control cables. Using separate ACline voltage cabling and low voltage cabling, low voltage wires in theAC wiring connection compartment 352 can pass through the wire channel366 and into the low voltage wiring connection compartment 354.Similarly, AC line voltage wires in the low voltage wiring connectioncompartment 354 can pass through the wire channel 366 and into the ACwiring connection compartment 352.

To ensure wires within wire channel 366 remain within the wire channel,each plate 360 and 362, may include one or more wire catching prongs 380extending from a top surface of the respective plate into the channel366. Preferably, the wire catching prongs 380 are bendable tabs cut ineach plate 360 and 362 so that the wire catching prongs 380 areinitially parallel to the respective plates and then after all wires arepositioned within the wire channel 366, the wire catching prongs 380 canbe bent towards the wire channel 366 to about 90 degrees relative to therespective plate. In another embodiment, the wire catching prongs 380may be welded to the plate or may be snap fitted to the plate.

As noted above, the electrical box 210, cable connector 10, and boxseparator 350 can be made of metal or non-metallic materials. In somecombinations, the electrical box 210, cable connector 10, and boxseparator 350 can be made of the same material, e.g., metal ornon-metallic material. In other combinations, for example, theelectrical box 210 and cable connector 10 can be made of one material,e.g., non-metallic material, and the box separator 350 can be made ofanother material, e.g., metal. If the box separator 350 is made of metalor other conductive material, the box separator when connected toelectrical ground, by for example mounting tab 374 and threaded screw378, can provide additional shielding for the low voltage wireconnections to help minimize negative effects from AC transients on theAC line voltages within the box assembly 300.

As described above, the box separator 350 may be a U-shaped member.However, the present disclosure contemplates other shapes andconfigurations of the box separator that creates two or morecompartments within the electrical box and provide for the passing ofwires between the compartments. For example, the box separator may be asingle plate with knockout, grommets or other openings through whichwires can pass from one compartment to another compartment.

Turning to FIGS. 27-29, another exemplary embodiment of an electricalbox assembly according to the present disclosure is shown. In thisexemplary embodiment, the electrical box assembly 400 includes anelectrical box 210 having four sides 210 a-210 d and a bottom 210 e, acable connector 10, and a box separator 450. The electrical box 210 andthe cable connector 10 are similar to the electrical box and cableconnector described above, and for ease of description are not describedagain.

The box separator 450 is secured within the electrical box 210, as shownin figures, to create at least two wiring connection compartments. Inthe embodiment shown, the box separator 450 creates two wiringconnection compartments; an AC wiring connection compartment 452 and alow voltage wiring connection compartment 454. In this exemplaryembodiment, as will be described in more detail below, wires orconductors can pass from one compartment to another compartment throughone or more wire passages in the box separator 450. For example, wirescan pass from the AC wiring connection compartment 452 to the lowvoltage wiring connection compartment 454, or wires can pass from thelow voltage wiring connection compartment 454 to the AC wiringconnection compartment 452.

The box separator 450 can be fabricated from metal, e.g., steel orgalvanized steel, or from non-metallic materials, such as plastic. Anexample of a suitable plastic material is injection moldedthermoplastic. In this exemplary implementation, the box separator 450has two plates 460 and 462 and a connecting wall 464 that form a wirepassage channel 466. Plate 460 includes a wire passage 470, such as awire passing slot, an aperture or other opening or passageway, which isconfigured and dimensioned to allow one or more wires, e.g., AC linevoltage wires or low voltage wires, to pass through the plate 460. Toprevent potential damage to wires passing through wire passage 470, theedges of the wire passage 470 can include a flange 470 a that is roundedto a smooth surface, seen in FIG. 27, so that insulation around wirespassing between one compartment, e.g., the low voltage wiring connectioncompartment 454, and the wire passage channel 466 do not become damagedto a point where wire conductors within the insulation become exposed tothe environment. In another embodiment, especially when the boxseparator 450 is made of metal, an insulating sleeve or member (notshown) may be secured to the wire passage 470 by, for example, anadhesive such as glue or epoxy.

Plate 462 is a partial plate wall having one end 462 a extending fromthe connecting wall 464 and a free end 462 b a distance from theconnecting wall that provides access to the wire passage channel 466. Toprevent potential damage to wires passing from the AC wiring connectioncompartment 452 into the wire passage channel 466, the free end 462 bcan be rounded to a smooth surface, so that insulation around wirespassing between one compartment, e.g., the AC wiring connectioncompartment 352, and the wire passage channel 466 do not become damagedto a point where wire conductors within the insulation become exposed tothe environment. In another embodiment, especially when the boxseparator 450 is made of metal, an insulating sleeve or member (notshown) may be secured or attached to the free end 462 b of plate 462,by, for example, an adhesive such as glue or epoxy.

Continuing to refer to FIGS. 27-29, to secure the box separator 450 tothe electrical box 210, the connecting wall 464 can include a threadedor tapped mounting hole 476, and a mounting screw 478, seen in FIG. 28,can be inserted through an aperture in a side wall, e.g., side wall 210a, 210 b, 210 c and/or 210 d, of the electrical box 210 and into thethreaded mounting hole 476 and tightened to secure the box separator 450to the electrical box 210. In other embodiments, the box separator 450can be secured to the electrical box 210 by, for example, welding, aspring action snap-in structure, bending mounting tabs in the boxhousing over corresponding flanges in the box separator, and/or threadedor tapped mounting holes in the bottom 210 e of the box housing 210 thatare aligned with the apertures in a connecting wall 464 extendingbetween the plates at the bottom of the box separator 450, and insertingthreaded screws to the bottom 210 e of the electrical box 210.

As described above, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 27-29,wires or conductors can pass from one compartment to anothercompartment. For example, cables can be connected to the electrical box210 using cable connector 10 aligned with pry-outs 224, or other cableconnectors or clamps in knock-outs 226. In this exemplary embodiment,the one or more cables can be metal clad power, control and signal(MC-PCS) type cables with an armored sheathing. Such MC-PCS cablesinclude AC line voltage wires for supplying AC power, and low voltagecontrol or signal wires for controlling devices, such as solid statedimmer switches. Using MC-PCS type cables, low voltage wires in thecable can pass from the AC wiring connection compartment 452 through thewire channel 466 and into the low voltage wiring connection compartment454. As another example, if the cables are connected to the low voltagewiring compartment 454 side of the electrical box 210, AC line voltagewires can pass from the low voltage wiring connection compartment 454through the wire channel 466 and into the AC wiring connectioncompartment 452. In another embodiment, one or more cables connected tothe electrical box 210 can be a standard AC line voltage cables, such as12/2 BX cables, and one or more cables can be a low voltage cable, suchas shielded two conductor low voltage control cables. Using separate ACline voltage cabling and low voltage cabling, low voltage wires in theAC wiring connection compartment 452 can pass through the wire channel466 and into the low voltage wiring connection compartment 454.Similarly, AC line voltage wires in the low voltage wiring connectioncompartment 454 can pass through the wire channel 466 and into the ACwiring connection compartment 452.

As noted above, the electrical box 210, cable connector 10, and boxseparator 450 can be made of metal or non-metallic materials. In somecombinations, the electrical box 210, cable connector 10, and boxseparator 450 can be made of the same material, e.g., metal ornon-metallic material, and in other combinations, for example, theelectrical box 210 and cable connector 10 can be made of one material,e.g., non-metallic material, and the box separator 450 can be made ofanother material, e.g., metal. If the box separator 450 is made of metalor other conductive material, the box separator when connected toelectrical ground, by for example mounting tab 474 and threaded screw478, can provide additional shielding for the low voltage wireconnections to help minimize negative effects from AC transients on theAC line voltages within the box assembly 400.

While illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure have beendescribed and illustrated above, it should be understood that these areexemplary of the disclosure and are not to be considered as limiting.Additions, deletions, substitutions, and other modifications can be madewithout departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure.Accordingly, the present disclosure is not to be considered as limitedby the foregoing description.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electrical cable connector for mounting withinan electrical box, the electrical cable connector comprising: aconnector housing having a first wall, a second wall, a third wallbetween the first wall and the second wall and having at least onecutout and a mounting bracket, and a fourth wall extending from thefirst wall toward the second wall or from the second wall toward thefirst wall, wherein the first wall, second wall, third wall and fourthwall form a cavity, wherein the first wall includes at least one cableopening dimensioned to permit an electrical cable to pass into thecavity, wherein the second wall includes at least one wire opening thatpermits electrical wires within the electrical cable to exit the cavitywhile preventing the electrical cable from exiting the cavity, andwherein the fourth wall has at least one pair of guide fins extendingfrom the fourth wall toward the cavity and aligned with the at least onecable opening and the at least one wire opening; and a cable retainingmember having a base portion releasably secured to the mounting bracketand at least one leg extending from the base portion through the atleast one cutout into the cavity such that the at least one legextending into the cavity can engage the electrical cable within thecavity so that the at least one leg is able to flex while the electricalcable passes into the cavity imparting little resistance to the forwardadvancement of the electrical cable within the cavity, while impartingsufficient resistance to rearward movement of the electrical cable toprevent withdrawal of the electrical cable from the cavity.
 2. Theelectrical cable connector according to claim 1, wherein the at leastone leg comprises a first leg extending from one end of the base portionthrough the least one cutout into the cavity and a second leg extendingfrom another end of the base portion through the least one cutout intothe cavity.
 3. The electrical cable connector according to claim 1,wherein the cable connector is made of metal.
 4. The electrical cableconnector according to claim 1, wherein the cable connector are made ofa non-metallic material.
 5. The electrical cable connector according toclaim 4, wherein the non-metallic material comprises injection moldedthermoplastic.
 6. An electrical box assembly comprising: an electricalbox having four side walls and a bottom wall; and at least one cableconnector releasably secured within the electrical box to one of thefour side walls or the bottom wall, wherein the at least one cableconnector comprises: a connector housing having a first wall, a secondwall, a third wall between the first wall and the second wall and havingat least one cutout and a mounting bracket, and a fourth wall extendingfrom the first wall toward the second wall or from the second walltoward the first wall, wherein the first wall, second wall, third walland fourth wall form a cavity, wherein the first wall includes at leastone cable opening dimensioned to permit an electrical cable to pass intothe cavity, wherein the second wall includes at least one wire openingthat permits electrical wires within the electrical cable to exit thecavity while preventing the electrical cable from exiting the cavity,and wherein the fourth wall has at least one pair of guide finsextending from the fourth wall toward the cavity and aligned with the atleast one cable opening and the at least one wire opening; and a cableretaining member having a base portion releasably secured to themounting bracket and at least one leg extending from the base portionthrough the at least one cutout into the cavity such that the at leastone leg extending into the cavity can engage an electrical cable withinthe cavity so that the at least one leg is able to flex while theelectrical cable passes into the cavity imparting little resistance tothe forward advancement of the electrical cable within the cavity, whileimparting sufficient resistance to rearward movement of the electricalcable to prevent withdrawal of the electrical cable from the cavity. 7.The electrical box assembly according to claim 6, wherein the at leastone leg comprises a first leg extending from one end of the base portionthrough the least one cutout into the cavity and a second leg extendingfrom another end of the base portion into the cavity through the leastone cutout.
 8. The electrical box assembly according to claim 6, furthercomprising a box separator secured within the electrical box andconfigured to create at least two isolated compartments within theelectrical box, wherein the box separator comprises at least one platehaving at least one wire passage.
 9. The electrical box assemblyaccording to claim 8, wherein the electrical box separator is made ofmetal.
 10. The electrical box assembly according to claim 8, wherein theelectrical box separator is made of a non-metallic material.
 11. Theelectrical box assembly according to claim 10, wherein the non-metallicmaterial comprises injection molded thermoplastic.
 12. The electricalbox assembly according to claim 6, further comprising a box separatorsecured within the electrical box and configured to create at least twoisolated compartments within the electrical box, wherein the boxseparator comprises: a first plate having a first wire passage; a secondplate having a second wire passage, wherein the second wire passage isoffset from the first wire passage; and a connecting wall between thefirst plate and the second plate, wherein the first plate, second plateand connecting wall form a wire passage channel.
 13. The electrical boxassembly according to claim 12, wherein the first wire passage comprisesa slot.
 14. The electrical box assembly according to claim 12, whereinthe second wire passage comprises a slot.
 15. The electrical boxassembly according to claim 12, wherein the first plate is configured toextend from a first side wall of the four side walls of the electricalbox to a second side wall of the four side walls of the electrical box,and wherein the second plate is configured to extend from the first sidewall of the electrical box to the second side wall of the electricalbox.
 16. The electrical box assembly according to claim 15, wherein thesecond side wall of the four side walls of the electrical box isopposite the first side wall of the four side walls of the electricalbox.
 17. The electrical box assembly according to claim 12, wherein thefirst plate is configured to extend from a first side wall of the fourside walls of the electrical box to a second side wall of the four sidewalls of the electrical box, and wherein the second plate is configuredto extend partially from the first side wall of the electrical box. 18.The electrical box assembly according to claim 6, wherein the electricalbox and the at least one cable connector are made of metal.
 19. Theelectrical box assembly according to claim 6, wherein the electrical boxand the at least one cable connector are made of a non-metallicmaterial.
 20. The electrical box assembly according to claim 19, whereinthe non-metallic material comprises injection molded thermoplastic. 21.An electrical cable connector for mounting within an electrical box, theelectrical cable connector comprising: a connector housing having afirst wall, a second wall, a third wall between the first wall and thesecond wall and having at least one cutout and a mounting bracket, and afourth wall extending from the first wall toward the second wall or fromthe second wall toward the first wall, wherein the first wall, secondwall, third wall and fourth wall form a cavity, wherein the first wallincludes at least one cable opening dimensioned to permit an electricalcable to pass into the cavity, wherein the second wall includes at leastone wire opening that permits electrical wires within the electricalcable to exit the cavity while preventing the electrical cable fromexiting the cavity, and wherein the fourth wall has at least one pair ofguide fins extending from the fourth wall toward the cavity and alignedwith the at least one cable opening and the at least one wire opening;and a cable retaining member having a base portion releasably secured tothe mounting bracket and two cantilevered legs extending from the baseportion and through the at least one cutout into the cavity such thatthe two cantilevered leas extending into the cavity can engage theelectrical cable within the cavity so that the two cantilevered legs areable to flex while the electrical cable passes into the cavity impartinglittle resistance to the forward advancement of the electrical cablewithin the cavity, while imparting sufficient resistance to rearwardmovement of the electrical cable to prevent withdrawal of the electricalcable from the cavity.
 22. The electrical cable connector according toclaim 21, wherein a first of the two cantilevered legs extends from afirst end of the base portion and a second of the two cantilevered legsextends from a second end of the base portion.